The Blade, the Bow, and the Bullet
by TurnAroundTime
Summary: A little mixture of three, with an added flavor of sweetness and denial... pretty much when everyone has settled down, that's when things become a little complicated... character pairings may change overtime
1. Default Hostility

**The Blade, the Bow and the Bullet**

I don't own grandchase.

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Chapter 1: Default Hostility

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"Good morning." She said in a distasted manner, with obvious play.

"Morning." He responded, but in a darker tone, without any façade.

They stood a few paces from one another with nothing short of what we might call aggression in their countenance. Their eyes of extreme concentration meticulous in scanning the other for faults with which to pin point – sadly, and much to their own respective disdain, she looked cute in her simple crème blouse and cotton purse hanging on her bare shoulders, and he looked quite manly in his rugged pants, blue shirt and a black open polo.

They both took a mental note that appearances might not be the best field of competition.

The door infront of them slid open and out peeked a handsome young albino with a question mark quickly plastering on his usually serious face.

"Oh, I thought I felt something."

Immediately, the expressions of the two softened, one with a smile, the other with something a little gentler than a frown. Nevertheless, after wiping his hand with the apron on his waist Lass greeted them both with a hug, not being good with words but clearly saying how happy he was to see them both.

"Good to see you both." He whispered, lips between their ears.

It wouldn't be the first time Lass embraced her, nor would be the same case with the counterpart guess. But they wouldn't want to be in the spot for too long, primarily because it annoyed him how her skin felt so soft and smooth as it touched his, and it irritated her how nice he smelled.

"Um, sorry." Lass said, realizing he was being too familiar, and gently released them both.

The two visitors wanted him to retract the apology, since they didn't mind the hug at all. They stole a quick glance of death at each other after sensing that common thought, then looked back at the clueless boy.

"Come on in. I'm almost done making lunch."

"Are you sure I'm not intruding?" she respectfully asked.

"Maybe I'll drop by some other time." He said, simultaneous with the elf.

It was another reason for them to glare at each other again, and it allowed Lass to finally catch a hint of the tension.

"Erm, you two know each other, right?" he asked, not really sure if it was the right question.

"Fortunately, not too well." She said.

"And hopefully, never will." He supplemented the thought. Both of them crossing their arms and portraying a not so pleasant air. Lass scratched his head, not clearly understanding what the friction is all about.

"Ooookay… well, formal introductions then. Rufus," he first walked towards the bounty hunter, putting a hand on his shoulder and gestured another towards the elvish princess. "this is my… um, friend… Lire."

It doesn't really take much to annoy the young half-demon, but for some reason that blush on Lass's face ticks him on a whole new level. To make it more insulting, the elf was equally red.

"She saved me… in more ways than I could've afforded to ask. And, as the elves put it – she is my connection to the truth of this world." He said, getting redder, and looking warmly at Lire.

When it took more than a reasonable amount of time for them to gaze at each other's eyes, Rufus respectfully cleared his throat to get some attention.

"Oh, and Lire?" the thief began, "This is my brother, Rufus." Lass's voice was somehow decorated with pride.

"Don't you mean half-brother?" Lire corrected, for the sole purpose of screwing with him.

Lass could feel steam coming from the bounty hunter. And as much as he is truly in love with Lire, he doesn't know why she would suddenly have a tongue sharp enough to be mean. He eyed Rufus' fingers: they were twitching, clearly itching to go for the pair of pistols in his pants.

He took a cautious step in front of Lire, separating the two like a wall would, though still admitting to himself that it was the elf who was at fault.

"Alright, alright, so much for the getting to know part. Shall we go in? I'll be serving lunch in about 5 minutes." Lass said, sounding as accommodating as possible.

"No, I better go. You probably cooked just for two so…" Rufus said, with a lot less aggression this time, but Lire cut him off.

"Oh, it's alright, you stay. Maybe you have some catching up to do, and for my part, there's a bazar waiting for me mid village. I'll see you later Lass." She bid the thief with a smile and pulled the strap of her purse on her shoulder.

"Um, but…"

Rufus saw Lass' eyes and was quite disturbed realizing that he was in some way the cause for them to look so lonely. He swiftly went in front of Lire and stared her down.

"The bazar would last for the whole week. I know, because most of the products there were shifted under my supervision. I think you have sufficient opportunity to shop tomorrow, so you should spend the day with my brother, Ms. Eryuell." he said with a dark tone of voice.

But the girl wouldn't be intimidated. She had stared death straight on the face, after all, so the handsome young demon wouldn't pose much of a threat.

"Well, unlike you, Mr. Wild, I always have time to spend with the people important to me, so allotting this time to you would not be a big deal, as much as I do want to spend the rest of the day with Lass."

"I see. So that's how cheap companionship is for you. Since the love one's are always there, we can always go shopping instead of having lunch with them."

"I value companionship," Lire said, eyes reflecting anger, "which is precisely the reason why I'm giving this opportunity to you, because I don't really know if you value anything more than money."

This clearly is a shooter who knows the vital points to strike at, Rufus thought. As much as he was very much enraged at her judgmental remark, he still thought it was quite formidable, even impressive, that she can attack like this.

Unfortunately, Lass wasn't at all impressed. The whole scenario was bringing out the socially aggressive Lire, the Lire whose pride as an Elven corps leader swells higher than the mountains. He held them by the arm and gently gave a tug, pulling them inside the house and distracting them from one another, though with one being a master assassin, and the other being the best archer in existence, finding something that will serve as a distraction for them would be a heavy task. True enough, their eyes kept intense connection as they moved inside.

"Please, both of you." Lass whispered, sliding the door closed, his voice blank and sullen.

The two knew him well enough to be alarmed. They cleared the tension and steadied themselves, taking a gentler countenance as they waited the beloved thief to face them. Lass is a calm and composed person, which means that moments when he is enraged are rare… and often unsavory. But much to their guilt, he face both of them with a smile, with eyes reflecting that of an anticipating, yet disappointed child.

"I told Lire she is always welcome here, and I often insisted that she visit," he began, looking at Rufus, then he turned to the elf, "And I asked Rufus to have lunch with me today."

The thought clearly meant it was Rufus' win, so said bounty hunter crossed his arms and tried not to look too smug about it. But Lire was quick to catch on. Ironically, she also thought it was her win, since she'll be giving the curly haired demon a good guilt trip the next time they meet.

"So, if it is not too much to ask from the both of you, Lire, Rufus, won't you please spend the rest of the day with me?"

They both looked at Lass as if he was once again possessed by some sinister mind. The very idea of spending time with one another even for a brief minute was offensive for Lire, and unsettling for Rufus.

"Please?"

But the look of Lass, made adorable by his blue eyes slightly curtained by thin strands of white hair on a semi-bowing head, was hard to ignore, let alone disregard for such an offending request that would leave them quite unsettled. Bottom line: he was too cute with the apron and they both love him immensely to deny him. He smiled as he watched them both released a sigh at the same time before removing their footwear, giving courtesy to the owner, and walking inside the oriental-styled home.

The two visitors braced themselve for an ensuing afternoon of awkwardness.

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end of Chapter 1

reviews and comments are gratefully accepted... and you don't have to be so gentle about it too...

hope you enjoyed that!


	2. Premature Assumption

**The Blade, the Bow, and the Bullet**

I don't own grandchase... do i really have to do this in every chapter? it just makes me bitter... -_-

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Chapter 2: Premature Assumption

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The air was heavy with silence, but their mutual disregard for one another was somehow, regrettably for both, comfortable. For Lire, she didn't have to pose any pretense. For Rufus, he didn't have to analyze the surroundings to find the enemy.

But they'd both be damned if Lass would be spending another hour in that kitchen.

"Be done in a minute!"

They both heard him yell. The living room was close enough to the kitchen for them to appreciate the sound of sizzling cooking oil, and the gentle humming of the happy lad stirring vegetables on it.

Rufus took one good sweep at the room, making note of every specific detail with one specific interior factor in mind – air-conditioning. The house was designed as a dojo, so it's pretty much one square room, with a medium sized table in the middle where people can sit around the floor and happily dine. Quaint, simple, but he liked it. Installing cable and internet service won't be a hassle either.

"Sorry."

Lire suddenly said. She was kneeling comfortable on the other side of the table, obviously used to such a disciplined pose. Rufus simply raised an eyebrow, throwing an unspoken inquiry.

"For what I said earlier… it was rather uncalled for, calling you his half-brother."

Rufus was apprehensive, but for some reason, he didn't find any area to doubt the sincerity in her words. He nodded, she smiled, and they finally reached an acknowledgement. He decided to give something in return.

"And I'm sorry for calling you a shopaholic." He said, as sincere as she was, save for that rather mischievous grin.

"Did you call me a shopaholic?" she asked, her eyes turning into darts. This time, he didn't have the right to look as sharp.

"Well, I implied it." He said, replacing the grin with an apologetic smile, "But if it's all the same, I'm sorry."

"Hmp."

She acted like the grouch as she did a few minutes ago, but Rufus was seeing through her. He continued to smile at her, until she finally broke her pout and heaved a breath.

"Actually, I'd be lying if I say I'm not. I do a lot of shopping after all." She admitted, but didn't shy away like she normal does. She bravely look at the bounty hunter. "At least I have good taste."

"I won't deny you that." Rufus said, eyeing her carefully, "That's a pretty cute dress you're wearing today."

Lire's face turned red, but she knew the compliment was well-meant. "Thanks." She whispered, and again Rufus nodded in affirmation.

That silent, no nonsense kind of communication is so much like Lass, she thought.

The air has definitely gotten better, though still in their minds they know the tension is there. Ironically, the fact that they can easily go through an argument and end up with a decent compromise is surprising. That practically means they can talk about anything, fight about it, then leave it in dead air, with no awkward spaces in between, since no pretenses are needed after all.

Rufus was first to stumble upon a thought that, at least now that Lire has regarded him as a being intelligent enough to converse with, could merit some clarification.

"Lass said you're his connection to the truth of this world: what does that mean?"

Again, Lire blushed, this time having to delve into the understanding of that phrase.

"Oh, that. It's a well-known saying among elves, that all of us are in constant search for truth, but none of us can find that truth alone. You have to find it with someone. That way, even though paradoxically no one can ever reach the truth about this world, through that special someone, you will somehow be connected to it."

Rufus thought about the explanation, and the fairy-tale like impression he has of elvish culture has taken drastic turn. He waited for Lire to continue, half impressed, and half amused that the girl was acting like the idea would go somewhere too embarrassing to talk about.

Lire noticed how focus Rufus was, looking at her, expecting further explanation. She was somehow expecting him to think it was boring.

"In the end," Lire continued, "once you find that special someone, that someone becomes the truth of your life. The search reaches an end, and your being reaches completion."

Lire was blushing completely at this point. Rufus was rather cynical about the entire thing, not wishing to get comfy with that thought of this whole truth and connection stuff, but he didn't want to spoil her… fantasy… or whatever it is she wanted to call it.

"So basically," Rufus began, "he's like telling you he loves you, right?"

He was somehow surprise seeing her face get even redder.

"D-don't say it like that!"

"But it's the truth, ain't it?"

Lire was cornered. The idea really went that direction, and there's no point denying it. "Yes." She said.

There aren't many things to disinterest the young demon, but he is most certainly disinterested at the concept of foolish romance. But seeing as the thought did come to a respectable curve, and that his baby brother is directly involved, he might as well do some more digging.

"So," he began, "how did he say it? Set up a date I supposed? Or maybe a public confession?"

"You know Lass is not that extravagant, Rufus."

"Fair enough. Well then?"

"Um," the memory was indeed very romantic for the teen elf. She was fidgeting with the hem of her blouse, clearly feeling fuzzy about it, "well, it was after a mission, and I was a total mess – covered with dirt, sweat and monster guts. So, it was a little hard to believe when, before leaving the forest, he suddenly held my wrist and said I looked beautiful."

Rufus couldn't help but grin. It was never a good idea to pair Lass with this elf, but he had to admit, turning a girl's insecurities inside out was a good point to strike at.

Lire caught the look on his face and thought perhaps she was being made fun of. But Rufus coaxed her to continue. "Go on."

"And then, he took me to a spot by a lake, where we could see the full moon, being reflected on the water." She placed a hand on her chest to steady the growing heartbeat as she reminisced that night. "Then he held my hand, oh he was so beautiful then, and he whispered, 'There are a lot things I'm looking for in this life, tons of questions I want to ask. But I realized now that you are the answer to all of them, and I have nothing else to look for, so long as I have you by my side.'"

Lire turned the warm gaze at Rufus who, unknowingly, was also blushing and had eyes wide with unspoken emotion.

She didn't even go through the part when Lass took hold of her hands, clasped them tight, kissed them ever so fondly, and whispered 'I love you.'

"Ahem," she cleared her throat in the attempts to calm her heartbeat. Lass may not be the best topic at the moment, though it's pretty much the only topic they could converse in. Then again, it wouldn't be so bad to try and get to know this person. "So, Rufus Wilde, care to tell me your story?"

"No." he quickly said.

She wasn't expecting much in the first place, but that was a bit too blunt. But if her attempt to befriend him would simply piss him off, she's fine with that too.

"Oh come on, I told you my love story. I think it's just fair to me yours. That's what being a trade's man is all about, right? Fairness?"

Rufu's eyes then turned serious, deadly serious. And suddenly, Lire had a feeling he's about to spew something long and annoying. Bring it on, she thought.

"First of all, it's not your love story, its Lass's, since as what he told me, you never said you love him back. So it's Lass's love story, and it's a tragic one at that."

Lire's eyebrows furrowed as Rufus attacked that guilt spot.

"Secondly, it's only fair when there's monetary value. Third, the only thing you need to know about me is that I'm here to take care of my brother, and anyone who gets in my way or makes life difficult for him will be riddled with bullets."

Lire huffed with ill-admitted defeat. So much for bridging a friendship. Well, her intentions weren't pure to begin with, so she just dropped it.

A few more seconds of silence, Rufus noticed that pout on her face never left. He was about to cater the thought of barging in to that kitchen and asking what the hell is causing Lass to spend the last few minutes there, but then another thought stepped in.

Lire's cheeks looked so much like lush tulip, even as she pouts. He didn't know why, but the term 'cute' suddenly became added in his vocabulary.

"When I came to this world," he began, deciding it was indeed fair to divulge stuff about himself, even just a little, "I was really planning on killing this person called Lass."

Lire's attention turned to him, and she immediately lost track of all prejudices. She was all ears.

"I was a kid. My father left me for a Halfling, and I was angry, so I decided on something pretty stupid. But when I finally found him, and learned his life story, I realized that there was nothing for me to be angry about. Nothing… compared to what he had been through."

Lire's heart suddenly felt heavy. She remembered the day when Lass finally told her about himself, his mom, the life in the Nightmare circus – everything. Funny, because she was really planning on consoling him, when in the end, it was her who started crying and it was him who told her it's going to be alright.

"My old man, I hate him, but no matter how much I try to force it, I can't rule out the fact that he truly cared for me. But Lass – the only family he had, that woman, she left him when he was barely four."

He turned his eyes towards her, "I had a family to grow up with even though I hated his guts – Lass never did. I want to make up to him for that. I want to make him understand that he has a family."

Lire considered Rufus and said with a smile, "You know, as much as I think that the grand chasers have done a pretty good job with that, I have to side with your resolve. Do you remember the look in his eyes when you told him about the two of you being brothers?"

Rufus nodded, not wanting to admit that he also treasures that memory, that first contact he had with Lass as he was embraced absentmindedly by the thief.

"In the end though, I'm still just a selfish money-hungry bounty hunter."

The look on his face as he digs deep, Lire really felt it was something worth respecting.

"I guess I should apologize for what I said about that too, huh?" she asked, already insinuating a plea for forgiveness.

"You don't have to. I still am, after all." He said.

"You'll have to convince me then. After all, if you were a selfish money hoarder you wouldn't be looking around your brother's house, figuring out ways to make his living more comfortable." She said, smiling at him.

Rufus gave her a look that combines a question with amazement.

"Are you a telepath too?" he asked with a tiny doze of fear.

Lire giggled at him. "No silly. His irises dilate when he's probing an environment. I just saw the same thing with your eyes, and thought, oh, I guess he really _is _Lass's brother."

Rufus scratched his face with the new trivia. It was rather interesting how she was able to see that detail. "Hm, does it really?" he asked, not particularly looking for an answer.

"Mhm… you and Lass are more alike than you think."

Indeed, he is very much like Lass, and, as much as she didn't want to admit it, he was displaying the same mannerisms that always make Lass childish and likable – the way he uses his pinky to scratch his cheek when he's embarrassed, and the way tiny hues of red covers his face in a blush, the way his breathing is always calm and unperceivable, and the way his rich eyelashes flicker with the slightest movement of his eyes.

She wondered further just how much they are alike.

Rufus's face suddenly got hotter as the young demon felt the warm gaze. He wasn't as comfortable as he thought he was, especially with Lire looking at him as if she was intending to take a bite at him.

"S-stop starring at me." He said in his whispering way. He had to look away because of her penetrating eyes, but when looked back, he notice the elf was crawling towards him, still with the critical consideration on her face, "What?!" he then asked as she was about an inch away from him.

"I'm sorry, but…" she was reaching her hand out, but Rufus was scooting away, "May I?"

"What are you doing?" Rufus whispered, unsure why his usual fearlessness and instinctive jumps suddenly went out the window. The only time he was this close to an elf was during an assassination, but that seemed to be an easier scenario, compared to the frozen state he is in.

Her face was getting closer, SHE was getting closer, and his line of sight is currently trapped. Should he look up, he would see her eyes, beautiful, emerald eyes: should he look midway, he would see her moist lips: should he look down, well, let's just say teenage elven girls mature in a more beautiful, and bountiful way, than demons do.

"Ms. Lire…" he tried to speak, but breathing was difficult. She really was too close. In normal cases, at this heartbeat, he would be mindlessly shooting everything with his pistols.

Rufus wondered, does this person have his little brother under the same spell?

"Hmm…"

Finally, her hand was able to reach his head, where she gently dug her fingers in his locks. Rufus's eyes just grew wide at the new feeling… a feeling of being touched.

"It's so soft." Lire said, carrying a very content smile, "Feels nice to the touch…"

A sudden wave of weakness spread through his neck. He was soon following the motion of her hand, and each breath he took was getting heavier. She continued to gently scrape up to his scalp, combing his hair and then digging back down. Slowly, his eyes began to flicker, wanting to close, but being fought back.

_Ugh…._

Rufus was using his arm to lean back, but it was slowly buckling away, along with his will power. He could no longer control the movements of his head while Lire continued. The scary part, however, was that he was beginning to enjoy it.

"Stop!"

"Eek!"

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting! Hope you two are getting along… erm…"

Lass walked through the cloth dividing the kitchen from the living room, tray of meals in hand, smiling like he never smiled before. But when he entered the room, and as his quick eyes soaked up the scenery, he began to doubt if a smile was fit for the situation.

Rufus was pinning Lire down on the floor. As swift and alert as she is in dungeons, Lire was still taken by surprised. Hell, all three of them were taken by surprise – it was the last thing Lass expected to see, and it was certainly the last thing Rufus expected to do.

But in all fairness to the elvish princess, she was the first to fully grasp what was going on. He looked up at Lass Isolet and smiled sheepishly at him.

"Um, it may not look like it, but I can actually explain."

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to be continued...

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I'm a little disturbed with some OOC moments here... whatever... it was fun to write anyway... ^_^

reviews and comments, much appreciated... thanks!


	3. Friendly Mistakes

**The Blade, The Bow and the Bullet**

This is one's a loooong chapter.. Sorry, but i think it might as well give you a glimpse of how the story is to unfold. The pairings are a little clearer in this, but we're not jumping the gun yet.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 3: Friendly Mistakes

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_Ronan,_

_Will be rendering overtime this afternoon… I have to kick some new-recruit butt- those stubborn, goodfornothing rich kids…_

_Anyway, don't worry, I'm still good for tonight's dinner. See you later…_

_I love you!_

_Elesis Sieghart_

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"I love you…" he whispered, wanting so much to tell her, but couldn't at the moment.

The boy folded the piece of paper he found on his desk and kissed it, picturing the slender hands that made those god-awful writings. She was clearly in a hurry. Too bad they weren't able to catch each other earlier.

He heard a gentle knock, then out peered from the huge office door a cute little mage holding a long folder and a nervous expression. Ronan smiled at her warmly.

"Hi!" he greeted.

"He-hello… is he coming today?" she said, looking around the room for any signs of the person in mind.

"He said he needed some time off today- just not sure if he'll be coming back. What's it about?"

He gestured for the girl to take a sit in front of his desk, and placed the folded note in his pocket. The girl sat down and handed the slightly crumpled sets of papers to the knight. The uneasiness was no longer reflecting from her eyes as she did, relieving also some of Ronan's worry.

"It's another proposal… I'm hoping to get this one through…" she said shyly, fidgeting on the chair that was a bit too high for her feet to reach the floor.

Ronan considered all the details, making sure all the mistakes in her seven attempts prior to this one are not there. It was a bit amusing for her to consider all technicalities of writing a formal proposal. He once offered to be the one to do necessary corrections and editing, but the mage was one proud individual. She wanted the endeavor hers.

"Good job." Ronan chirped after a few seconds, "Hopefully, he'll be getting this one on his list."

"Hopefully." The girl wasn't as cheerful about it though, "But he didn't even read the last two proposals I submitted yesterday."

Her sad face was affective, especially for a person like Ronan who has chivalry written all over his resume. He could understand why she was feeling disheartened like that, though. All efforts and hard work seemed to have been for naught. She's getting tougher and wittier within the bureaucratic system, but it was clearly sucking all hopes from her, especially with a project as grand as this.

"I'm sorry." Ronan said, not really sure how else to put his empathy.

"Don't be. I'm sure he has his reasons. He's a good person after all." She said, forcing up a bright smile, which is truthful enough, save it has a touch of weariness about it.

He fondly strokes her head in affirmation.

"You ready for the bazar?"

"Yep!" her face suddenly lit with excitement, "My potions are ready to attract some customers and, I hope, investors. I've set up my stall there a day before they started shipping other goods! I have a good feeling about this Ronan."

It amazed him how quickly she was able to shift from pessimism to a durable fighting attitude.

"You're a smart girl, Arme, and a tough one… he'll recognize your efforts, I'm sure of it. Who knows, he may already be considering approving your proposals."

Suddenly, the unreasonably huge wooden door swung open, rattling the entire room with shaking force. It would've been clearly impossible to do that, unless you're fueled by some kind of confused rage like the one standing by the doorway. His face was flustered with what looked like an embarrassing defeat, a face that also looked like it's going to bite someone's head off, and Arme couldn't help but feel like it's going to be HER head on the menu.

She quickly hid behind Ronan, shaking and whimpering.

"…erm, well, judging by what I'm seeing right now, I may have to retract that…" Ronan jokingly said, attempting to ease the panic from the mage.

The demon's eyes seemed to be directed towards something in empty space.

"I hate her." He whispered.

The two humans in the room both heard, and once again, Arme had a reason to fear for her life. Thankfully, though, Ronan was well aware of the situation and knew he was not referring to their little mage.

"G-good afternoon, Rufus!" Ronan cautiously said.

The demon stomped his way towards the middle, simply nodding at the knight to give the most meager form of acknowledgement. His nerve swayed in such rare display of childish wrath that was making his teeth grit and his gloved fist clench. The two humans in the room, one curious and amused the other already half spent in fear, kept eyes on him as he rummaged through a set of papers on his desk.

"Excuse me, Rufus, Arme's here to…"

"We're cancelling the bazar." The demon suddenly interjected.

Ronan and Arme blinked a couple of times, registering the words from the demon who seemed set on what he just said. Of course, the first one to react was the one who was most affected by it.

"You can't!" Arme suddenly said, surprising the already bewildered Ronan.

Amidst the scribbling of the stylus over the badly arranged papers Rufus snapped up at her with the same deathly glare, baring his fangs, and reminding the girl of the previous thought – he's still ready to bite her head. She got the message quickly, and went behind the safety of Ronan's back, quivering and whimpering. Her brave attempt to challenge the initial declaration went by like air, and the demon went back to the frustrating pile of documents on his desk, grumbling something between 'stupid-elf', and 'maybe I should go bald.'

With his friend mentally preoccupied with something beyond the usual annoyance of being a director, and the little mage not showing any signs of progress behind him, Ronan was left to mediate once again. Those documents seemed hopeless, and the way Rufus was meticulously going through each and every one of them, he's bound for another all-nighter. As for Arme, well, he'll deal with the bazar later – she can't always be afraid of the person who has the greatest resources to help her.

He poke Arme's purple head which was still buried on his back. The girl looked up, huge eyes almost teary. She saw Ronan motion his head towards Rufus' direction, and the girl was quick to understand the offer and quickly shook her head. But there was no argument without words, so Ronan gently shoved her proposal on her and pushed her towards the busy, and apparently still pissed demon.

"Um…" she said, not much for words, but at least attempting to converse. "Mr. Wilde…" in her quivering voice and shaking hands she attempted to hand the folder to Rufus.

"Put it on Ronan's table Ms. Arme, I'll have a look at those later." He said, not even bothering to look at her.

"B-but… the project needs your immediate attention, and…"

"I WILL LOOK AT THOSE LATER… MS. ARME…"

Whatever helpless piece of something was in Rufus hand was reduced to ash with a subtle killing aura emanating from him. His voice was as mellow as ever, but his proximity and the sound of his voice which seemed to have come from the great abyss literally shattered what little courage Arme was able to muster.

And when face with such a threat, our fearsome battle mage has but only one recourse…

"WAAAAAAA!"

The entire room was suddenly engulfed with her loud wail. Of course, between the two male creatures, only the demon was unaffected. Ronan's eardrums felt like breaking. He tried to reach out towards the, true enough, fearsome mage, to comfort her, but more on the intention of stopping the infernal racket. Before he was able reach her shoulders, though, the little girl went dashing out, almost causing Ronan to fall on the floor.

The silence was consoling, but the thought of having Arme disheartened like that was too disturbing for Ronan. He turned towards Rufus who didn't seem to have flinched from that. He sighed…

"Rufus…" Ronan tried to call him out.

"I'll be sending a courier today to help fold the stalls." The demon interrupted again.

"…very well, but Rufus, Arme was…"

"She had a proposal, yes. Didn't I say I would look into those later?"

"Other than that, she was crying, didn't you see?" Ronan's tone was becoming urgent.

"Yes I did, most girls do. Speaking of crying, how exactly do you make elf girls cry?"

"What?"

He wasn't listening. Or if he was, Ronan could tell it was of little concern to him compared to what got him in such a foul mood in the first place. He walked towards Rufus and braced on his shoulders.

"Rufus…"

The demon was cut from his thoughts, his rant, his attention from work, and seemed to have snapped into a more normal state of mind. He blinked a couple of times and stared at Ronan as if he had just gotten in the room. The knight's face softened after seeing that change on Rufus' face, but kept his hold on his shoulders.

"Let me outline it for you my friend… Arme went out crying. You ignored her attempts to speak. You ordered an abort of the bazar which she was so much looking forward to, and you didn't even look at the efforts she made on her latest proposal."

Rufus tried to register all that. The anger that came with him as he entered the room seemed to have been misplaced somewhere, for now he was overcome by some guilt that he wasn't used to. He looked at the paper in hand and went through the fine writings: Rufus Wild, Director of Finance and Trading Affairs Division, hereby order a suspension in the mid-year bazar under conditions of…

The order was incomplete, and now that he had entered a more decent state of mind, he realized he wouldn't have been able to complete it.

"Sorry…" he whispered, letting his head drop.

"Not to me, Rufus." Ronan said gently, letting go of his shoulders and smiling at him while leaping towards his chair, "Arme was the one who left the room heart-broken, and crying like a menstruating banshee."

The thought didn't even make sense, and Rufus made that clear by raising an eyebrow at him.

"Say what?"

The knight just laughed, loud and heartily, and flung the folder that Arme dropped at Rufus.

"Never mind. Just, do me a favor and read through all that, and tell me she did it wrong again."

The spot where Ronan hit him was a little sore, but he quickly overlooked the impulse to throw something back after reading the first few details of the document-contents.

"…she… she got it… the outline… the technical loopholes… everything…" Rufus was disbelieving, but Ronan knew it was coming, which explains the smug expression, the 'I told you so' sparkle in his eyes, and the pen he handed to the open-mouthed demon.

"You didn't do this, did you?" Rufus asked, taking the pen from Ronan.

"It would've been better if I did, and there wouldn't be any erasures… but we can overlook that, right?"

He flung himself up and stood an arm's way from Rufus, who was tapping the pen on his cheek and appearing skeptical. With the previous attempts, he feels justified to doubt the work of a usually scatter-brained mage, as much as he respects her unmatched power in dungeons.

"Look, even if I sign this…"

"The senators would just go about their usual vile way and act against it, I know… but it's not about that, is it…"

Ronan placed his hand on the paper where he gently covered Rufus's fingers, and it made the bounty hunter think for a bit. Arme works hard, always. It's in her nature, regardless of the difficulty, or even the impossibility of the situation, she pushes on until finally, she makes a dent in that wall preventing her from reaching her goal. Rufus is that wall – he told her it would be difficult to approve instructive medicine since all budget are concentrated on administrative ones, and it would be impossible to bend the senators' minds about another budget, since with people needing more of what they make, they're making good business.

Unfortunately, she didn't think it was too difficult, nor did she think it was an impossible case. And judging by the stubbornness of this proposal, Rufus would have to think that she still doesn't think so.

Ronan considered him eye to eye, then watched him bite his thumb until a metallic taste seeped out, and press it on the box for the approval seal. He then carefully placed his signature on the bottom of the document, and closed the folder, ending with an apologetic smile which was somewhat uncharacteristic, nevertheless well-meant.

"I'll be the one to hand it to her."

"Good idea. I think she'll appreciate that." Ronan said, gathering all the other papers on Rufus' desk into a neat, handy pile which he then placed on a separate folder. "And the bazar?"

That was a whole new subject, but still part of the reason why Rufus felt so heavy within. It was indeed something that Arme said she needed, and now that the thought came to mind, he realized she might've been the reason why the bazar was initiated in the first place.

"Oh, that… it's alright, we don't have to cancel it."

"Well, if you a have reason…" Ronan tried to rationalize with him.

"More of a personal one…" he rubbed his head with the suppressed anger now rising back, primarily focusing on a blonde elf, her rosy skin, and her darn, talented hands, "I'd rather not talk about it. It's giving me a headache."

Unfortunately, the consequence of its discussion wasn't enough motivation to drop the subject. The cheeky lad dragged his chair and sat in front of Rufus, wearing a very goofy smile.

"I understand." He said, smile growing wider, "Let's not talk about it."

Of course, for a magician like Ronan, the more something is concealed, the more interesting it gets, which would clearly explain why the smile just goofier as Rufus got caught in a corner.

* * *

_It was a scene of high proportions – unbecoming, impossible, and, not to mention scandalous._

_Lire looked up and smiled at the bewildered teen who, thankfully, managed to keep the dishes balanced on the tray despite that explosive scenario. Rufus had a more complicated and torn reaction though – jumping off of Lire and sticking himself to the wall as if the elf was some sort of infectious monstrosity. _

"_It's not what you think!" he quickly said, his cool voice betraying his posture which was a bit too ridiculous for Lass to overlook. _

_He let the humor escape at first with a subtle smile and a calm voice, "I'm sure it's not."_

"_It's my fault." Lire began, gathering herself from the floor and straightening her dress, "We were deep in the topic of your similarities and, well, I just thought of finding out if you both had the same weakness."_

"_Weakness?" Lass inquired, tilting his head in wonder._

"_Yes, and, true enough, both of you share a common one." Lire's honest smile was then turned to the beat-red demon, "Sorry, got a little overboard there. It won't happen again…"_

_There were a lot of things rattling in Rufus's mind back then, but the most alarming one was the fact that when he regained consciousness proper to a rational mind like his, all he could remember was the sight of her face between his arms that were pinning her down… her face, and how beautiful it was. The messy dangles of hair that covered her emerald eyes back then added to her innocent charm which was potent in itself._

_Needless to say, our young demon's heart was beating like crazy. Crazier still it went as he realized that Lire was once again smiling at him. Then his eyes fell on her hand, her fingers, those godforsaken, sleek fingers gracing his head just a while ago, making him feel a mind blowing pleasure that, well, simply put, blew his mind to point blank._

"_You vile, manipulative fiend of an elf!" he suddenly burst, startling the pair who was busy setting up the table._

"_Rufus…" Lass called out in a tone slightly higher than what he normally uses._

"_What sort of witchcraft is this? What have you done to me? Have you gotten my brother under the same spell?" Rufus questioned with such grave accusation that made Lire stand in defense._

"_What are you talking about?" she asked strongly, clearly offended._

"_The moment you touched me, something… something in my head got lost…" he didn't really know how to put it, and he was being careful not to admit he was growing crazy. Perhaps all the stressful living as a lone bounty hunter has gotten its toll now that he has integrated himself into society._

"_Rufus, relax, you're misunderstanding things…" Lass tried to placate the mildly hysteric and totally confused demon, but he was braced on both shoulders and was put into a halt._

"_Snap out of it Lass! Clearly you can sense it too, what she's doing to you!"_

"_There's nothing to sense, dear brother, it's normal to have some sort of inclination or two…" he tried to be calm for his brother, but his fiery red eyes were getting close to a panic. He was so flustered, and Lass couldn't understand what was going on in his head anymore. "Please, just clear your mind for a second."_

"_NO!" Rufus declared, letting go of Lass' shoulders making him slightly back off, "You cannot be in love with this woman! You simply can't!"_

"_Well, um," as serious as the situation is, Lass couldn't but feel embarrassed about that. He tried to look at Lire from the side of his eyes, blushing, "I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure I am in love with her. But what's that got to do with anything?"_

"_Can't you see? She has placed you in an enchantment of some kind." Rufus pointed a finger at the waiting elf, "She is a witch, a temptress, a fiend! She's just making you think you love her, and she tried doing it to me too! She's probably after the blue flame inside of us. You have to free yourself from her spell or else…"_

_But he wasn't able to finish. _

_Lire stomped between the two brothers and sliced the air with a crackling sound of a cold slap. Her emerald eyes, normally caring and serene, held such vengeful wrath that made Rufus' resolve drop. It took a few seconds before both boys finally understand her role in the scenario, although she didn't have to explain it. Her sharp, almost teary eyes showed every sign of being upset, but she wouldn't cry, knowing her she wouldn't._

"_I have never," she began, voice soft and quivering with unrefined rage, "I have never been so insulted in my life." _

* * *

Ronan blinked a couple of times, watching Rufus finally the story with a deep-seated sigh.

"So? What do you think?"

There was an awkward silence that lasted for a good 10 seconds between them, until Ronan finally decided on what to do.

He bursted out laughing. And not just simple, timid, nobleman kind of laugh, but the kind that you normally do after hitting 8 glasses of booze and then a fly passes you in the face and suddenly says 'howdy', yes, that kind of laugh.

"Oh, great lords and goddesses, I can't breathe…" Ronan said in his attempt to gather air in his lungs. He kept on laughing and laughing until finally, the fit gradually died down.

Rufus was nowhere near amused. He was busying himself signing up the rest of the documents and concluding the days' affairs, trying not to be annoyed at the fact that his friend was finding his story comic. He wasn't actually expecting to have such a reaction. The usual, more predictable Ronan would just pat you on the back and say it's alright.

Apparently, he didn't think this was serious enough.

"Are you almost done over there?" he asked in his formal, no-nonsense tone of voice.

Ronan was still wiping tears from his eyes after recovering when he waived a hand at him. "Sorry, sorry… I just, well, it didn't occur to me that you'd actually be the kind of person to upset two ladies in a day. I mean, modesty aside, I couldn't do that even if I tried."

Rufus stared at the finalized compilation of papers with the heading labeled 'Serdin-Bermisian Integration Project.' It has Sieghart's name underneath.

"What do I do?" he whispered. "I never should've taken this job. You should've appointed someone else."

"Let's start with the basics. It's always good to fix problems from the simplest to the most complicated."

Ronan took the documents from Rufus's hand, with the said demon reacting to it as if it wasn't expected. There was a sharpness in Ronan's eyes that says he knew exactly where this is heading.

"There's a flower shop a few blocks from here, very close to the girls' dormitory. Get her a bouquet, leave a note telling how you feel, and hand it to her together with the proposal."

"A note of apology, and maybe compensate her with lunch." Rufus continued, his own red eyes taking on a bright sign of understanding.

"You're catching on quickly, my friend. Now, you leave these documents to me, while you go out there and set things right. And bring your wallet, they don't take cheque… not everyone does, for crying out loud."

The bounty hunter smiled while Ronan was heading out, waving the compiled papers at him as he did so. He took the leather pouch containing a few bills and was about to outline the evening's plan of action, when he suddenly remembered a very important detail he missed.

"Hey, what kind of flower does she like?"

He was fortunate enough to catch the knight before he closed the door. Ronan peered back inside, with fingers gracing his chin in mild thought, then his face lighted up after concluding.

"Blue-glazed carnations, I think…"

"Ok, thanks…"

The door went shut and he was left to consider the details. He pulled out a scented piece of paper from a stack given to him by Ley. The point of such sugar-coated parchment was beyond him, since papers are supposed to be used for formal purposes – why bother making them smell nice and girly? As per the situation, that question has been answered.

"Carnations… I didn't know Arme liked them… Oh well…"

* * *

Lunch was great.

But the company made the food bitter for Lire, and the atmosphere made it tasteless for Lass, who spent the entire time trying to engage them both in a conversation. It was of no avail. Fair enough, they talked to him kindly, but neither even made eye contact with each other.

"You know he didn't mean it, right?" Lass softly asked, cautious and gentle in tone.

He didn't get any response from the elf, who seemed to be too pre-occupied with drying the dishes. All he could hear were the surging water from the faucet in front of him, and the tapping of clean porcelain bowls on the cupboard.

"I'm sorry…" he said, realizing she might be more upset than he thought.

But then he felt arms snake around his waist, and a warm body press itself on him. He could hear her slow breathing as she attempts to calm herself down with his scent, and could feel her slowly relaxing heartbeat. When he realized he could feel something else, something soft and lush, he slightly blushed. Though it wouldn't be the first time Lire was embracing him like that, he had found himself staring at her well-endowed front more than once. Whether or not she has caught him is yet to be discovered.

"Don't apologize." Lire said in a whisper, placing a cheek on the back of his neck while she pulled him tighter. "I shouldn't have slapped him. I should be the one saying sorry."

"Words hurt more than actions." He said, trying to distract himself from the contact, "Do you hate him?"

"I couldn't. I see so much of you in him." She said.

Lass smiled at that. It was a sweet thought, but it's not going to bring them both closer. Now that he has a family, he intends to keep it tight, and that includes his intended wife who was hugging him right now.

Then he had an idea. "Amy would be throwing a party at the daycare, right?"

"Mhm, she'd been planning it for quite some time now."

"Why don't the three of us help out? Maybe find a situation where the two of you can make up."

He turned around, making sure Lire would not withdraw her arms, and placed his own around her. She had a very apprehensive look, considering the idea and the chances she has of getting along with such mysterious and neurotic person. But as she looked up, and saw a hopeful glimmer in the thief's eyes, and that warm, loving smile she knows exclusive for her, she decided to affirm that suggestion.

"Very well… I might as well try to find a reason to like him if we are to get along." She said, laying her head on his chest. Then her own mind fooled around with its own idea, "But you know, he does have very soft hair. It felt so silky."

She looked up and found the expected reaction from the thief, whose smile has vanished and was replaced by a rare pout that, for sure, he himself is not aware of. But the sight of it on his childish features was priceless. Lass took the arms that has grown comfortable around him and placed the hands on his head, forcing the fingers to dig deep into his own white crop of hair.

"I have soft hair too, you know." He declared strongly.

"Oh, am I sensing jealousy here?" Lire asked in a sly way.

When Lass gave a weak nod, unable to further convey his sentiments of having his beloved consider another male's good point, Lire grinned, and decided to reward him with a kiss.

The faded shades of gold and orange passing through the open window served as a spotlight, as the two spent the closing day swaying with the music of their heartbeat.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the barracks…

"Three will take flanking positions at the rear. Your priority are the healers. Anything that gets pass the sword masters are taken down."

"Why not just put us on the front line? We're more than capable of delivering just as high damage."

She looked at the enthusiastic, but obviously, for her, idiotic teen and said strongly, "If you have the same shadow attack to dodge and hit, then by all means, get on the front line. Unless your forgetting, the positions are meant as good defensive blockade, not offensive."

The boy seemed disheartened by that. She knew that look the first time his father told her that knowing what you can't do is just as important as knowing what you can do.

She affectionately reached for the boy's head and messed up the lad's hair.

"Needless to say, our defenses are crucial, and we wouldn't be winning anything without Aegis knights… the knights that all of you are about to become."

He smiled at that, while the rest of the class standing around the table showed strong faces of resolve.

"Now, I need those 5-page reports on Dwarven mechanism and its effect on Various defensive structures on my desk tomorrow…"

The once quiet room then turned into noise cage with youthful whines and grumbles filling the air. "Okay, okay, let's make that Wednesday… no more complaints…"

There were still attempts to negotiate a later date but the tired red knight wouldn't listen to it. She pinched one short kid who suggested it on the cheek and bid him good bye after kissing him on the forehead, pushing them all out of the room.

"Bye, Ms. Elesis!"

"Good bye! Be careful on your way home, it's already dark!"

"Will do!"

"See you tomorrow, teach!"

The room was finally cleared… except for a young man who was patiently waiting at the corner, watching the infamous Savior. She seemed engrossed still with the scrolls sprawled on the table, and judging by how she suddenly became interested in building up a new sword fighting style, Ronan was sure she wouldn't be leaving those thoughts anytime soon.

He walked towards her and captured her possessively from behind. She wasn't surprised of course. She knew he'd been there for the last ten minutes. She just didn't want to appear distracted infront of her precious students.

"Hmm… I thought they'd never leave." Ronan said, wafting up her scent with his nose trickling on her neck.

"And I thought we were supposed to meet at the restaurant." Elesis smiled and pulled his arms tighter with one hand, while the other was busy holding up a piece of paper.

"Yes, well, I miss you too much to wait that long."

He settled his head gently on her shoulder and considered the subject his princess seemed to be pre-occupied with.

"What do you think?" Elesis asked, showing him the paper with a precise illustrative details.

"A forehand on the left, and a backhand on the right. Sounds a bit tricky, don't you think?" Ronan said.

"Yeah, I'm still working on it. So, how are things in the office?"

Ronan grumbled in complaint of that thought, "Ugh, same old boring desk job… good thing I have Rufus there to keep me entertained."

"Speaking of which, Lire told me Arme came crying just this afternoon. Did anything happen?"

She placed some stuff in her bag after everything was in its proper order, and just leaned back to appreciate her captor, pulling his head down towards her.

"Um, yeah, something did happen…"

Elesis considered the tone of voice, and it was clear that he was amused by the subject. "Please don't tell me you find this entertaining… What did Rufus do this time?"

"Made the wrong decision, spoke the wrong words to the wrong person, pretty much simple yet stupid mistakes guys normally make."

"Normally, but I still won't tolerate it if he go about his ways making my friends cry…" she declared.

"OUR friends," Ronan corrected mildly, sniffing on the smooth flesh of her neck, "and don't worry, he's going to make it up to her… God, you smell so good…"

The girl felt electric sensation travelling all over her body with those subtle yet hot drifts of his lips and nose on her skin. "Hey, hey, don't get ahead of yourself mister… Are you sure he's going to make things right?"

"Yes, I'm sure… I sent him on the right direction… so, why don't we talk about something more interesting, like us…"

"And what's so interesting about you, if I may ask?"

The voice was dark, annoyed, and very much familiar. Ronan gently, but quickly withdrew his hands and straightened up his posture.

"G-good evening, Lord Sieghart…" he said nervously. This was obviously one scene he didn't want to see.

"Hey pops… I thought you were in a dinner meeting with the senators…"

The immortal stood there, still staring Ronan down, wearing what looked like a poor attempt to be formal. The odd color of white and red mixed well enough, though it was a little weird to see him wear something other than black. He felt how Elesis was musing over the sight of him, and decided to fix the coat and straighten the shirt inside.

"I will be shortly. I just needed to get the files from Rufus…"

"Oh, here you go, sir." Ronan handed him the folder, thus reducing the proximity between him and Sieghart. The older man took it and stared sharper into Ronan's eyes. The boy wasn't at all intimidated, but it was a little uncomfortable having the legendary Xenian executioner look at him like that.

Elesis felt the familiar friction in the air. Knowing Ronan, he's not going to stand down but of course he wouldn't take on a fight with her great grandfather, especially not in front of her.

"Hey, Ronan, could you get my coat in the other room?" she asked.

"Sure… excuse me, Lord Sieghart."

The door clicked closed as the young man left, all the while Sieghart kept eyes cold and sticking on him. But as he turned towards Elesis, his face softened, though there were still clear traces of annoyance.

"Are you eating out again?"

"Yes we are. Here pops, let me fix that for you." She took the tie that he was holding and proceeded to do him proper formal appearance. Sieghart straightened up his neck and grumbled at the uncomfortable feeling of having something closed on his neck.

"Didn't you go out last night?" he asked.

"Yes we did." She answered, pulling down the larger part of the cloth and tying it back.

"Is this going to be on a daily basis?"

"Why not? We are going out, after all."

"He's not going to try anything, will he?"

Elesis scoffed at that, "No, he won' wouldn't be able to, even if he tried."

"Even so, you shouldn't let your guard down with him."

"I never let my guard down, though I wouldn't mind making myself vulnerable for him." She boldly declared, blushing slightly at the ideas her own words imply.

Sieghart didn't even find it funny. He frowned at her and took on a sterner tone of voice, "I swear, Elesis, if he ever crosses that line…"

"He won't, pops… at least not yet." Elesis quickly interjected, "I know him, and you do too. He won't do anything."

"I know he won't." he bitterly admitted.

"Then why are you treating him like this?" she pulled the tie down deeper into his vest and placed both palms on his chest as she asked that question with such soft and gentle tone.

Sieghart couldn't answer. He just stood there, appearing sorry and at the same time stubborn. He couldn't look at Elesis straight in the eye.

"I just… I don't get why Elscud so easily approved of your relationship."

"And I don't get why you won't."

Sieghart then looked at her, the same fatherly fire flickering in his black orbs, "Elesis, you're barely 18, and you're making yourself available to someone 3 years older than you. It's too soon."

It didn't take her long to register this same old discussion. She sighed, then smiled at him warmly, "I find it strange hearing that from someone who used to flaunt his money with women a hundred years younger than him."

The great legend was struck under the spotlight with that. He scratched the back of his head, flustered. "Um, well, some of them were immortal too… I think."

The door opened and in came Ronan with Elesis's coat on his arm. He made his graceful way towards the pair and placed the coat around Elesis.

At that point, Sieghart realized that the fight with Dio wasn't the only battle he lost. He looked at them deeply, Ronan's arm around Elesis, with said girl holding on to that strong hand, the hand that he knows will protect this little girl that suddenly isn't so little anymore.

"You look great, Lord Sieghart." Ronan said.

The said immortal took one deep sigh and pushed his hair up with one clean swoop. He nodded at them both, then walked towards the door to open it for them.

"Curfew at 10." He said.

The couple looked at each other, then regarded Sieghart. Elesis led her knight out, but stopped to peck on her great grandfather's cheek.

"I'll try." She said sheepishly.

Sieghart groaned at her stubbornness, but knew full well that there's no stopping her from enjoying the night.

The two enjoyed the little venture leading outside, arms swaying as they walked and hums badly tuning up the air. They were both lousy singers, but they liked each other's voices.

"You said Rufus is going to make it right…" Elesis suddenly thought, "How exactly?"

"Well, I told him to get Arme blue-glazed carnations." Ronan proudly said.

"Carnations?" Elesis clarified.

"Yep."

"But Arme is allergic to carnations."

Ronan gave him a look between half-amused and half-disturbed. But Elesis looked as casual as ever.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Yeah… she gets itchy just by being close to one."

He had to stop and pull her with him, forcing her to stop too. Now he was really concerned.

"No, I'm sure one of the original members of grandchase loves blue-glazed carnations."

"Yeah, you're right. And it's not Arme… most definitely not me."

His eyes grew wide with the thought.

"Then who?"

She didn't understand why he was so disturbed. But she answered nonetheless.

"Lire. She adores them. She said it reminds her a lot of Lass whenever he's away."

* * *

to be continued

* * *

Family bonding anyone? Lol!

The scenes with how Ronan and Lass got all cuddly with their ladies are a bit too similar, and, to be honest, a bit too cliche. No worries though, I got some new tricks up my sleeve.

i hope you enjoy this little messy work... ^_^


	4. Brotherly Mistake

**The Blade, the Bow, and the Bullet**

I don't own grandchase

this is another mouthful for a chapter... but i just gotta put Rufus into character here...

i promise the next chapter is gonna be subtle and an easy reader... more or less (=P)

* * *

Chapter 4: Brotherly Mistake

* * *

It's sometimes disturbing how something so simple can cause such distress, and waste so much time and energy. Like the simple task of pushing a doorbell – for whatever reason the young demon has stood there for a good ten minutes, in cold sweat, flustered with foreseeable humiliation, and shaking.

But since we're talking about the doorbell for the girls' dormitory here, it's understandable. That gate looked like it's going to eat him alive – metaphorically speaking of course. The bright paint and decorative swirling engravings on it doesn't even arouse the slightest terror, but it's a fool's bravery to venture in there, because underneath the beautiful appearance are creatures so terrifying, so powerful and dominant their mere presence can dishearten men.

Rufus gulped a lump of saliva down his constricted throat, and looked from side to side for any witnesses. All attempts to break in, utilizing what little Lass has taught him about infiltration, have ultimately failed. But he cannot ask his brother for advice for the sole purpose of sneaking into the female residence.

If only there was someone in there he could just confide with so the whole thing will be over. Sadly, among all grandchasers, it would seem only Lass and Ronan regard him with a certain degree of familiarity. Everyone else would either be apprehensive about him, or afraid of him. Or in the case of a certain elf-girl, angry at him.

He gave a deep sigh, then finally ventured on the thought of giving up. The flowers in his hand was expensive, but he just could not muster up the courage to get in there, hand it to the mage, and tolerate the squeals and teases of every single witness.

_Not to mention, Ms. Lire would see it too. And you'd perhaps hope that she be disappointed. _

The disturbing mental voice sliced through his private thoughts. Immediately, Rufus recognized the culprit, and braced for his pistol inside his coat- the pistol which he foolishly left in Lass's house.

But when he turned around, and saw the bearer of such sinister psychosis, his casual housework clothes covered in dirt and several pots of flowers gathered in his arms, the thought of jumping in instinctive battle mode suddenly vanished.

"Good evening, Rufus." Zero greeted, walking towards him. "Are you looking for someone?"

_Are you here to peep on the girls while they bathe? That's not until 7pm, so please come back later._

"The hell I am!" he said, almost crushing the flower in his hand.

"Oh, but that would not be possible, since this dorm is impenetrable." Zero said.

Figures the high-tall access. "I thought so." Rufus affirmed. The previous demonic voice spoke again in his head.

_You thought so? Have you been trying to break in, Mr. Rufus?"_

"Are you a pervert, Mr. Rufus?" Zero supplemented the idea before Rufus could hold up a defense.

_Do you enjoy doing kinky stuff, Mr. Rufus?_

"Have you had ample experience with pro-creation, Mr. Rufus?"

"Enough!" he yelled again. the barrage of questions were new definitions of annoying, "I have not come here for any of that sort, okay?"

There was considerable silence. Obviously, neither the demon, nor his sword, wanted to push the bounty hunter to the brink. Zero's eyes then fell on what was in Rufus's hands.

"Those are fresh, blue-glazed carnations. If you are planning to surprise someone with that, you would have to ask someone to bring it for you." Zero asked again.

_The dorm is built to prevent all sorts of infiltration. Not even the most skilled elven spy would be able to enter it would catching attention._

"What makes it so impregnable?"

"We don't know. The structure, the location of the windows and doors, the way the sound vibrates across the entire building, and the way the stairs and halls are designed – easy access for the residents, a maze for visitors."

_It may look simple on the outside, but it is very complicated._

"Who designed it?" Rufus asked, already impressed.

"Mr. Lass Isolet. It only took him a week to come up with a three dimensional draft."

Rufus's chances of getting in there just went from thin to none. Hurray for his brother.

The absence of eyewear did not make it easier to read Zero. Rufus found it discomforting to be infront of someone who's thoughts do not reflect on expression, and whose sentiments are hardly given out. Then again, his mere presence and the unkempt appearance should merit an explanation.

"You're filthy. What have you been doing here?"

"Working." Zero answered nonchalantly, putting down the pots on the ground and presenting his own rugged self. The sight was disturbing. For someone who knows what this guy is capable of, Rufus was not appreciative of the boyish tight shorts and the simple shirt.

"I work here." He further stated.

He stared at the fellow demon for a few seconds.

"I see…" Rufus said absentmindedly, more on to fill the gap in the air, because, seriously? Zero in shorts?

He then found himself wishing Grandark would say something about it.

_I have absolutely nothing to do with it._

Wish granted, albeit he was expecting an explanation, not a washing of hands.

"And, um, what exactly do you do here?" Rufus cautiously asked.

"I'm part of the maintenance team." Zero answered. It surprised the bounty hunter how quickly he responded, as if expecting, or even hoping for the question. "See? It says here on my shirt."

True enough, there was 'maintenance' written on the corner chest pocket. It would've been taken seriously, had it not been sewed there… horribly. Definitely meant as some form of a joke. Well, if it was, Zero fell for it big time.

Again, Rufus fancied the culprit…

_Let me emphasize that… I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!_ – Grandark hissed at him, lest Zero be just as suspicious.

"I'm helping arrange the plants in the garden." Zero further said, and even the normally emotionless vagabond couldn't hide a hint of pride, though his counterpart couldn't really understand what was to be so prideful about.

The disturbance in reality was tearing down on Rufus' temple, giving him a mild migraine. First the shorts, then the gardening, and wouldn't you know it, Zero was actually doing a good job by the looks of the well-kept porch. Rufus didn't even want to consider what was next. But because he made the mistake of looking at the same soiled shirt, and saw another word under 'Maintenance', his migraine just got worse.

"Zephy?" Rufus read, eyes twitching with nothing short of annoyance.

"Yes, Zephy. The residents of the dorm have given me a new name along with my new day to day challenge."

"And Zephy is the most creative one they can conjure?"

"Indeed. Grandark says it has such a fearsome tone about it. What do you think, Rufus?" Zero asked the bounty hunter, whom at that point was struggling in order not to show his grinding teeth.

Before deciding to answer that question, Rufus left his mind open… waiting for something…

"…"

_Pft…._

He heard that constrained snicker loud and clear in his head, clearly putting the blame to the demon sword. It was obvious that this time, Grandark had everything to do with this horrible name.

Regardless, the sparkly face that Zero, erm, Zephy, was making showed that he was clearly anticipating Rufus' opinion about it, the opinion which wouldn't be sounding so jolly and nice if he was to be honest with it. Then again, what's the point of being honest when he seemed so engrossed with the role? He pretended to give it a thought, then, with a disgusted yet careful expression, Rufus raised a thumb of approval.

"I-it suits you…"

"Thanks!" was the blank, yet, somehow, undeniably cheerful response.

Zero's bangs slightly flew with a sudden bounce, showing Rufus a glimpse of his large yellow eyes. The thought of everything was beyond disturbing already – what the hell did the girls do to this person? Granted, he did have a corner reserved in his heart hoping that Zero would integrate himself to society, but never did he imagine that he would be integrated into such a manipulated state.

And to make matters worse, he was starting to find it funny.

"How do you find the garden? I know it does not look much yet, but I've placed the shrubs with consideration of growth."

True enough, the little sprouts here and there clearly shows a promise of a nicely kept garden.

"Well thought of." Rufus declared, eyes scanning the terrain, "I think you're doing a good job with it." at least this time he didn't have to lie.

He was about to ask another thing or two, when Zero suddenly leaned his head forward. And being of the same height, Rufus made the unrealistic, and horrific idea that the wanderer was asking for a kiss.

_You're supposed to pat his head. _

Was again the sinister explanation of the sinister concocter of whatever joke Zero was placed in.

"Say what?!"

"Ms. Ley and Ms. Lire always pat my head whenever I do something good." The innocent demon explained.

He was about to say that it was the last draw, and that there were certain traits that you just don't dig into people, and that Zero doesn't deserved to be treated, or even pampered, as a pet. He's a warrior of epic proportions, for crying out loud. Yes, Rufus was about to voice out his thoughts…

_That, or you give him a kiss. _ – Grandark said.

"Here you go." Rufus gave Zero a generous rummage on his head, not bothering to argue with that evil sword. Zero gave groaning sounds of appreciation, then straightened up.

"Those are beautiful flowers." Zero said.

Rufus had enough of that evening. He could let Zero burn in the hellish bed of feminine treatment for all he cares. This new tamed nature of his – he would decide how to consider it later, because he felt like he is more likely to fear Zero now than when he didn't have the overbearing affection of the female grandchasers.

But such change can also be put into good use.

"Here." Rufus shoved the bundle of fresh flowers to the unexpecting Zero.

_Rufus, I didn't know you swing that way._

"THEY'RE NOT FOR HIM!" Rufus declared, getting rather ticked at how demented Grandark can be.

That sudden flare of insulted anger echoed with a subtle bellow of the evening sky. Rufus had thought it was too early for it to be awfully dark. He never had any resentment towards rain, but it would be troublesome to have his new coat riddled with mud. When his face went back to the contemplative Zero, poking the blue petals gently and with some sort of hidden fondness, he thought perhaps he is best to leave this place before anymore dark secrets becomes unveiled. Other than that, the impending rain was motivation enough.

_This looks like a heavy one. Better get the laundry in, Zero._

"Ok."

Laundry? Rufus didn't even began thinking on the range of tasks the term 'maintenance' implies. Probably goes as far as errand boy. This is unacceptable, simply unacceptable, Rufus thought, feeling that darn headache pierce his temple again.

But it went away as quickly as it came, because when he saw a small smile on Zero's face as he pokes at a lush petal, a true, unadulterated and unprocessed smile, he felt a guilt of wrong judgment. There were very few things he could consider honest and real when it comes to people, regardless of the race.

"If you let me, I'd like to be the one to hand this." Zero offered.

Rufus thought he had enough for one evening, and didn't bother arguing with that generosity. He gave a nod of acknowledgement and approval and whispered a 'thank you'. He then took off with a sudden dash, causing every foliage in the perimeter to sway in his wake. Too bad he missed the part where Grandark was about to enlighten them both with one particular detail.

"He is a nice person." Zero said.

_Yes, and apparently, as foolish as you. Did you even bother asking who to give the flowers too? _

Zero stopped mid-way the stairs to consider that thought. The term foolish didn't sound right in his guts as much as the term 'stupid'.

"Blazers." Zero blankly declared, and Grandark swore that that was supposed to sound upset, "Maybe I should go after him and ask."

_And catch yourself in the middle of a downpour on your way back, in which case you'd be trailing mud while stepping inside the house, which you would have to clean up afterwards. No, just go in there and throw it in the trash-bin._

"I cannot do that. This looks like it has a lot of thought in it."

_A thought, or pointless human sentiment – very well, then I supposed you should start asking inside who among them had the horrible taste in flowers like this. _

"Ok."

* * *

(POV ) major drabble here - hope you enjoy

* * *

The rain reminds me of a lot things – some I'd prefer to forget, but are buried too deep in my memory. Some lighten the others, while the rest just cast a shadow.

I still got a long way to go before reaching what was supposed to be home, but I stopped. A few blocks from the girls' dorm I looked back. Serdin City flickered with lights made dim and blur by the thick blanket of rain. I turned around to look at what's around me. Everything was distorted, but it was so in such a… beautiful way.

Beautiful – that word never meant anything to me before, probably because it was never worth any currency. But my limited vocabulary made some room for it, as it did for other new words – like friendship, teamwork… and family. I didn't know why, and I didn't bother knowing. But the meaning of them was kept under my encounter with Lass, and everything else here in Serdin.

My body felt heavy. The fabric of my coat doesn't do well when soaked. It weighed me down, but I continued to walk. The warmth of body-run made cool by this rain was soothing. It calmed me.

I looked back again. The entire path behind me was lost under the sheet of rain. Only what lies ahead can be seen – clusters of tall trees. I must have entered a park.

Why am I here?

My pace was slow, almost mindless. I was beginning to enjoy the rain. But again I looked back, still the path behind me is lost.

Will I be able to go back to how I was? Would I even want to?

The life as a bounty hunter, striving in the underground of every world, of every race - I looked back, and recalled those days when every blood spilled is a penny gained. I have lost those days, like the path under the rain.

Before me isn't so different, but I can see. Trees… lots of them… but what's behind them, I don't know. I walked towards one, and stroke its trunk. Course, crumpling, rough…. No different from my hands, whose gentleness only goes as far as it can pull a trigger.

…again, my head turned towards the lost sight of where I have been… as did my mind…

The lost path behind that I once knew, and the clear, tangible world now in my hand I know not of… damn, Rufus, some deep mess you got yourself into, and why the hell am I thinking like this? Any normal person would go running for shelter.

Water trickled down my face as I looked up, leaning against the same tree… it did well to shade me from the downpour, but the chill was slicing through whatever thick layer of clothes I was wearing…

Still, it didn't matter… the cold is never an enemy… it strengthens the will, solidifies resolve, and purifies whatever romanticized thoughts our mind directs…. What lone force stands against the cold reality of life will be all that survives when storms come to destroy… and I have survived.

But now as I stand with these dull trees, attempting to shield from the rain, from the cold, I feel that the lone wandering has come to an end. Be it a bitter, or sweet end, I have yet find out.

My curled bangs laid flat on my forehead. I gave it a strong flick upwards, and snickered to myself. Too much sentimentality, Rufus. Too much sentimentality.

Not that there was anyone to see this side of me…

"ACHOO!"

I stand corrected… if the gods were pulling a prank on me, they could have chosen a funnier one, because what I saw didn't make me laugh, as much as it made me twitch. Well, I wasn't much of a religious person anyway, so instead of pointing an accusing finger upwards, I took it to be fate that I found myself under the same tree with the last elf I wanted to see. And no, I am not reciting a poem here.

But fate also snapped at my head with the thought, there are other trees, lots of them, so either I was meant to find her, or I was free to move to the next one.

My eyes felt magnetized for some reason, and soon followed my body. I knew it was her, there was no mistaken – that sound, that smell, the stealthy presence. Except she wasn't so stealthy being all damp, soiled and shivering.

"Great! Just great!" I heard her complain. She was bound to sense me too. "Of all the people to share a shelter with."

The term 'shivering' never felt so understated, because really, she was already beyond shivering. I had to stare at her for a good amount of time. It was obviously cold, but it was something else, something beyond the body, something beyond the mind as well.

"W-what?!" she declared, her chattering teeth did little to support her failed vigor.

"Nothing."

"Then go away! There a lot of trees out there!"

"I think I was here first."

"Sorry, but while you were doing your little monologue, I was already standing here."

Darn… I didn't even realized I was talking to myself. On a rare occasion such as this, I found my usual short temper not flaring up. Perhaps because of the calming rain, perhaps because of her vulnerability, perhaps because of the sight of her… either way, I couldn't bring myself to get angry, so I decided to act civilized and began to walk away.

As I was once again drenched under that delightful flurry of raindrops, I heard her rummage through her purse, struggling desperately not to spill out everything inside with her shaking hands. Soon, she was able to bring out a familiar tool, and tossed it towards me.

"You forgot this in Lass's house."

I caught the holster and examined the contents. My pistol was in there. When I looked back at Lire, she was again trying desperately to warm herself, which is very much ineffective. Her entire form was shaking, and dripping wet.

The thin fabric of her clothing was remarkably light and fluid, as if itself was made of water. Being white in color, it also did little to hide whatever was beneath. Her entire body was almost naked under my surprised eyes, even under the poor lighting.

The way the dress hugged her body was simply… distracting, and if I am to be honest, mesmerizing. Save for the part where she looked so pathetic, it was undeniably exhilarating to see her like this. As I was sentimental a few minutes ago, I could not afford to lie to myself. I have to admit that those curves of her awfully slim waist, and long slender legs shining with wetness, those have gotten my attention all of a sudden.

As I walked back towards the tree again, I suddenly forgot my hostility towards her. It was replaced by a senseless justification – even the most prideful wolf would drool when a fresh, juicy meat lingers so close.

And juicy would be another understatement for the evening….

Her eyes remained shut, but I know she could feel me coming. I also know she could feel where my gazes are travelling. Such awareness was clear, when she squeezed herself tighter, hiding a good bounty of breast. I was certain my face looked like it has gotten a great catch, with the prize seemingly defenseless over perceptual harassment. She took a couple of steps back when the distance between us became too small, but I continued my advance.

"I don't think I've ever seen a creature as pathetic as this." I whispered darkly after placing a hand on the trunk she was leaning on.

Her shivering continued. Amidst the thrashing of rain on rich, grassy fields around us I could hear my own heartbeat. I was excited, with the excitement of a hunter holding in his claws a wriggling prey. But deep down, I knew it was also another form of excitement, something lower than reason, but higher than understanding.

But then, she opened her eyes and answered strongly, "And I don't know why Elesis gave someone so devious the title 'grandchaser.'"

The prideful fire in her emerald eyes were aflamed as before, right when I mistakenly ranted out in Lass's house, only this time, it was flickering with bodily weakness. But she's so proud that even that wasn't enough to make her falter. This girl has seen death, and this is how she looks at it.

"Leave… leave me alone." She said. I would have considered it begging, had it not for the straight, strong face, which, regrettably, remained beautiful.

I smiled at her and began to inch closer. I purposely showed through my red eyes the kind of hunger she was provoking in me, then let my gaze travelled all over her skin, which is now fully exposed in this proximity. She is more flawless than the most expensive pearl in Ellia, and yes, even with a few smudges of mud here and there. The filth was in fact an addition to the spicy flavor of her alluring appearance.

"A few hours ago, you seemed so fierce and daring." I began, "Even going as far as insulting me with your feeble hands."

"The insult came first from your mouth. It is but fair for my pride as an elf to strike back." She said. Despite the vigilant strength, I could feel her form shrinking with the involuntary succumbing to the cold.

"Fair or not, no one takes a hit at a bounty hunter and gets away with it."

"And what will such bounty hunter do to an elf who will not surrender to his whims?" she said, leaning upwards, daring me further. My smile could not grow more sinister. I like a feisty prey.

"He will show his true strength, his true nature, and make the elf beg for mercy."

I have never been one to make real threats. It spoils the element of surprise sometimes. But when I brandished my prosthetic arm and released a subtle amount of demonic energy in the form of the blue flame, I saw that she was still, despite the threat, very much surprised.

"Do what you will with my body," she declared, removing her arm from her chest, "but you will never claim my spirit."

Had I taken that seriously, I would have indeed done something to her body, especially with her breast suddenly visible like that. We demons value a certain amount of sobriety, so we don't indulge much on sexual cravings, but as a young demon the teen hormones prevalent in humans also apply to me. And the hormones are kicking in strongly.

I licked my lips to emphasize that her stubbornness was simply another flavor. The more she resisted such intimidation, the more I wanted to intimidate her. I couldn't help it. I am a demon, and there's a reason why my blood line is labeled Wilde. She and her delicious looking flesh make that blood rush.

The sight of her was beyond beautiful… and my hunger was getting beyond controllable.

"So be it." I whispered, moving my hand with the flame waving aimlessly closer to her.

Where should I start?

She has already closed her eyes tight. She was expecting some sort of retribution from me.

I could begin with her face, but it could leave a mark. Her bare shoulders looked so fair I'd want to leave marks there in so many ways, though. But then my eyes fell on her neck, ah yes, the softest flesh on an elf, so pale, so moist, indeed the first bite of a wolf on its captured meal.

…just another meal…

My fingers encircled around the front of her neck, and her shivering intensified.

But my fingers never touched her skin. The flame in my hand grew and travelled on her neck, partly covering her with luminous blue waves that danced with the breeze beneath this rain. Her skin was unscathed by that, but it began to slowly dry.

"The path behind is lost in the rain, and I will venture into the trees. This is my decision." I said simply.

Her eyes shot open, probably surprised after feeling something so gentle, when she was expecting something else.

"Put an arm on your front. I'm seeing more than what Lass would probably allow me to see." I warned.

She quickly understood and covered herself, getting flustered. The earlier aggression in her face has vanished, and was replaced by curiosity. It's like a huge question mark clearly visible, and as she tilted her head to process the scene, I could not deny the fact that she looked… cute. With her upper torso good and dry, I let the sea of blue flame travel to her shoulder. It was getting difficult – the way she was looking at me, and the way her eyes shimmered with wonder, were very distracting.

The flame would not hurt her, but I needed to concentrate to make sure that my hand hovering over her body would not actually touch it.

"S-stop looking at me like that." I declared. I felt the same scenario in Lass's house repeat.

"I'm sorry."

Her shivering didn't seem to be stopping. But her upper body is almost completely dry. I started to worry.

"Lass's house couldn't be that far. You could have gotten home sooner." I said, almost sounding like I was scolding her. "Did you drop by somewhere?"

"I was planning too." Her body motioned closer to me while my hand continued to linger all over her, "Someone left his gun. I was thought that maybe I could return it..." her eyes scrolled up to look at me, "…and also, apologize for slapping him. Ughnn…"

"Ms. Lire..."

That much involuntary action was bound to take its toll, for it was also taking much energy. Her knee finally buckled down, and the weakness kicked in. I was quick to catch her, and settle her down. It was a good thing she was able to retain consciousness.

I gently placed her on my lap and let my hand continue its work. The thought of rushing her to the dorm came to me, but I couldn't afford to dash in this rain. We have to wait for it to stop. I moved her higher up to me so her head was resting on my shoulder. She's so light, and feels so fragile. There's not a single weight about her. With her slightly dazed eyes she looked up at me.

"So… is this… the bounty hunter's… true nature?" she asked, jest mingling with her struggle to be coherent. But I didn't bother answering that question.

"Don't move around too much or…"

"Or what?"

Whether or not she was testing me, or if she was purposely breaching my attempt to restrain my animal cravings was already beyond my concern, for the way her glistening eyes looked up at me suggested something more dangerous. And of all possible mistakes to make that day, I messed up by making the most horrible one – I stared back into her eyes… and got entranced.

My still aflamed hand then landed on her knee as I lost concentration in that split second, which felt like eternity.

"Ah…" her reacted with a soft moan.

"I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's fine…" perhaps the bodily rest has restored some of her strength. She quickly covered my hand before I had the chance to retract it, "Please, … whatever you're doing, it seems my body needs it."

"You're body needs it?" I asked, doubting if we were still in the same dimension here. Sure, the blue flame can serve like regular flame minus the degenerative factor, but what is this need she is talking about.

Nevertheless, I didn't argue, and laid my hand on her knee, covering her leg with fire. With my mind no longer twisted with preserving any boundaries between us, I let her explain.

The way her body has been reacting with the rain is not simply due to the cold. It was physical trauma.

"It was our first raid in the Forest of Life." She began, "I went with a few scouts to gauge the corrupted tree's power. It was supposed to be a hit and run mission. Elesis knew it would be risky, but she didn't want to launch a full campaign without knowing what we were up against."

"So she sent you and some archers in the forest?" I asked.

"She was completely against it, but I said ranged runners would suit the mission, and I could be of help, so I volunteered. Everything was going well, and we had all the data that we needed. But then…"

The details were clear in my head as if I was there. Knowing young archers, they get cocky with their mastered skills, and often bite off more than what they can chew, even under a superior's guidance. They must have taken the tree, thinking it would be a simple task.

"I knew it was too easy… I, I had a feeling but…"

Her shaking was starting up again as she was recalling the past events. I wanted to silence her for the nightmare to cease, but an infection kept in a body will just spread and cause greater pain – she has to let this out at some point.

"…we were down to the last branch… the tree didn't seem aphazed by that, so I tried to stop them… but it was too late. The moment we finally took it down, the entire forest was envolped by a mysterious light… and then…"

The acid rain.

"We didn't last longer than 3 minutes. Our skin can only take so much, so the rain pierced through our bodies like needles."

Her hand travelled up her shoulders as kept herself from shuddering so much.

"The three of us were able to find shelter… but the rest – we watched helplessly as their bodies melted under that rain… it was horrible. Whenever I get caught up in the rain, I remember them – their faces, their bodies, their cries for horrible."

Tears were beginning to form at the side of her eyes. The recollection held too much horror - I guess it wasn't much help letting her tell all that. She kept hold of the urge to cry and whine, and placed her face on my neck. Her warm breath was electric, and it made me feel despicable for getting excited when she was actually in need of comfort.

Of course, I was never one that people would call comfortable, nor do I know what it feels like to watch your comrades die for I always work alone. Morbid scenarios of death don't affect me either – I was even paid before to slice up a person into tiny bits and pieces and to make sure he was kept alive while I did so. That was my life, a bounty hunter – social skills were at the bottom of our priority list.

…but that was lost behind the rain… now I have people I care about… I have Lass… and Lass has someone HE cares about, and she's shivering to death, out of cold and out of fear.

I didn't know what to do, so I did what Lass did to me the first time we met – I held her close, close enough for her cheek to be pressed on my neck. It was already beyond questions of right and wrong. I didn't even bother caring whether she would find it offensive.

"The rain has a different effect with me." I began to explain, "My mind quiets down and I get to think really clearly. It would seem, as I stand alone under a rain, the world around me doesn't exist."

Her sobbing began to stop, but the random shudders of her body has yet to subside. I fear my hand could reach areas below her that would merit me another slap, so I withdrew – part for the mud, she was completely dry now. I continued my little speech, taking hold of her hand that was clutching tightly on my shirt.

"No ideals, no fighting, no kingdoms or dimensions… nothing exist." I softly breathed on her hand until a small flame lighted up from our fingers. "Then I met Lass, and the grandchasers. The space under the rain got a little smaller. I can't afford not to have my brother with me, especially under the rain. I want to be with him, and with everyone else… in a place where there is no bloodshed, no complications. Just us."

Her emerald eyes looked really beautiful as the sapphire hues were reflected on them.

"Maybe, Ms. Lire, you and I can stand under the same rain as well. I may not be the best company, but I think Lass wouldn't want you to bear the cold and the dark by yourself."

The fluttery movement of her eyes suggests she was beginning to doze off. She must've felt it as well, for she made a childish smile and leaned further unto me while still gazing at the flame I conjured.

"Geez, that sounds a bit too sappy for someone of your caliber." She said lazily.

"Thanks for ruining the moment."

She gave soft giggle, and then looked up at me. "We care about the same person, Rufus, so I would like us to get along. Is that possible?"

"I was under the impression that you being all sagged and weakened like this in my arms means we already have." I said.

"Everyone has their own vulnerable moments, but if I didn't know you to be Lass's brother I'd say you were looking at me earlier with naughty thoughts in your head, so I wouldn't really be considering this as a start of the 'getting along' process."

Even I had to blush when those words were said in such manner.

"I-I wasn't… thinking of..." I said, or at least tried to say, but stuttering made a little less convincing. For the sake of fooling with me perhaps, she tilted her head and narrowed her already withering eyes at me.

"Oh?"

"I was simply… caught off guard…"

Her giggle was a strange consolation to that humiliation, though I'd prefer if she wasn't turning the tables on me. She was the one being vulnerable between the two of us – why was it my head that's being spun?

"Silly…" there's no stopping those eyelids, no matter how much she'd want to dig an argument, the flame will do its work of forcing rest on her body, "… strange, I can't keep my eyes open anymore."

It was quite a surprise when she began snuggling herself on my chest, and if I was to be honest, which I have been for the past ten minutes much to my regret, I found it rather… comfy.

"Sorry… for slapping you…" she said.

With the soft tone of voice and with her slender body all cooped up in one tiny ball in my arms, I couldn't help but consider her like a lost, wet kitten. It was my turn to smile down at her.

"I'm sorry too…" I said.

"For what?"

"For saying those mean things earlier… and for making you run through the rain, when you know it'd be difficult."

Her final conscious act was a gentle smile before she surrendered to slumber. But even if she was no longer aware, I knew I still had to refine my ways for the next step.

It's not enough that I warm the outside of her body. With such erratic heartbeat and heavy breathing, I have to re-vitalized her insides as well. I just hope that should this come to Lass's attention, he would still have enough reason to understand, and enough affection to forgive. And of course, as much as I doubt Lire would remember any of this…

"…and I'm sorry for this as well…"

I brushed a few strands of hair from her forehead, which was rather stupid because it wasn't even hindering her face. The moment got me going I guess, and saving the fact that she is one exquisite creature to behold when asleep, I felt compelled to do so by this sudden leap in my chest.

With my own energy tank beginning to dwindle, I had to make this quick, though by the amount of demonic life-force I have released all over her body I should be expecting a cold tomorrow morning. Assuming still that I will be able to sleep peacefully, and not re-enact this scene in my head. I breathed on my index finger and placed the created flame in my mouth, refining the concentrated healing blue flame further.

Then I braced myself for perhaps a very subtle betrayal towards my brother.

I took hold of Lire's face and began to move towards her. I tried hard not to think about what I was doing, or who I was doing it – but she was so beautiful. I tried not to enjoy it, but her skin was so soft and smooth. I tried to reason out, to justify it, but my heart still got excited.

Finally, my lips landed on hers. God, it was so tender, and so… juicy?

But Lass's trusting and hopeful face popped in head all of a sudden. Only then did my original intention came back to me, and I began to transfer the blue flame from my mouth to hers. After a few seconds, when slight dizziness has pierced through my head, I knew that I have given her enough.

But it wasn't just a few seconds. I slowly released my hold on her flesh, a bit dazzled at the thick string of saliva that has formed between us. How long were our lips connected? Minutes? Maybe hourse? It was alarming, even for me, considering that by the time my head snapped back from an unknown world, the grassfield around us have already dried. The rain has already stopped, and Serdin's lights were out.

What happened?

* * *

Guess we'll find out... more involving our little Mage and our charming Slasher, not necessarily in that order or in correlation... but you can expect something better...

* * *

to be continued...


End file.
